Exploring
the
Endgame
Exploring
the
Endgame
Peter Griffiths
Copyright© 1984 Peter Griffiths
ISBN 0-7136-2445-0
First edition 1984
Published by A & C Black (Publishers) Limited 35 Bedford Row, London, WClR 4JH, England
This book is copyright under the Berne Convention. All rights are reserved. Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act, 1956, no part of this publication may be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, electrical, chemical, mechanical, optical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. Enquiries should be addressed to the publishers.
Griffiths, Peter, 1946-- E.xploring the endgame.
I. Chess-End games
I. Title
794.1'24 GV1450.7
Design: Krystyna Hewitt and A & C Black (Publishers) Limited Text set in 10/11 pt Stymie by W. Turner & Son Limited, Halifax, and printed and bound in Great Britain at The Pitman Press, Bath
Contents
Introduction 7
l . Pawn endings 9 Game l Shamkovich-W atken 9 Game 2 Vogt -Liebert 1 0 Game 3 Faibisovic-Ohotnik 1 2 Game 4 Kirov-Ermenkov 1 4
2. Knights 1 6
Game 5 Sax-Tal 1 6 Game 6 Andersson -Medina 20 Game 7 Hecht-Hurme 23 Game 8 Pfleger-Larsen 28 3. Bishops 33 Game 9 Spassky-Byrne 33 Game l O Polugaevsky-Balashov 36 Game l l Hort-Bertok 4 1 Game l 2 Korchnoi-Karpov 43 Game l 3 Tal-Radulov 47 Game l 4 Kurajica-Karpov 50 Game l 5 Gligoric-Ljubojevic 53 4. Minor pieces 57 Game l 6 Kholmov-V asiukov 57 Game l 7 Century-Lee 62 Game l 8 Larsen-Smyslov 66 Game l 9 Webb-Matulovic 70 Game 20 Suttles-Tal 74 Game 2 1 Ftacnik -Geller 77
5. Rooks 84 Game 22 Gurgenidze-Radev 84 Game 23 Karpov-Hort 88 Game 24 Andersson-Rivas 93 Game 25 Karpov-Jakobsen 97 Game 26 Polugaevsky-Evans 1 02 Game 27 Zhidkov-Razuvaev 1 04 Game 28 Estrin-Pytel 105 Game 29 Ivanov-Bonchev 1 08
6. Queens Game 30 Hecht-Villeneuve Game 3 1 Hubner-Mecking Game 32 Kaplan-Ivkov Game 33 Chandon-Moet-Bottlik Game 34 Kotov-Bednarski Game 35 Lukacs-Marszalek 7 . Rooks and minor pieces
Game 36 Radulov-Kavalek Game 37 Karpov-Dueball Game 38 Karpov-Polugaevsky Game 39 Uhlmann-Karpov Game 40 Vaganian-Smyslov Game 4 1 Timman-Deze Game 42 Romanishin-Ubilava Game 43 Ivkov-Browne Game 44 Keres-Hort Game 45 Rogoff-Csom Game 46 Averbach-Hug 8. Rooks against minor pieces
Game 47 Gheorghiu-Stoica Game 48 Eley-Drimer Game 49 Matulovic-Damjanovic Game 50 Ljubojevic-Torre Game 5 1 Timman-Hubner Game 52 Garcia-Karpov Game 53 Miles-Kuzmin Game 54 PerE'myi-Barczay 1 1 3 1 1 3 1 1 4 1 1 7 1 2 1 1 26 1 27 1 33 1 33 1 38 1 43 1 47 1 50 1 56 1 62 1 67 1 70 1 72 1 77 1 8 1 1 8 1 1 86 1 89 1 93 1 98 205 2 1 1 2 1 6
Introduction
Fifty annotated endgames have appeared in the British Chess Magazine
under the title 'Practical Chess Endings' during the past ten years, and it has been suggested that a reprint in book form - with some new material - might be welcome.
The whole spectrum of endgame play is represented, from straight forward technique and general principles at one end to great tactical complexities at the other. I hope that all classes of players should therefore find something to interest them.
Pawn endings appear briefly in some of the games, but usually only in variations or when a decisive position has already been reached. The technique of winning is then fairly simple, so I have begun the book with a short selection of more difficult examples. After that the main endings are divided into chapters according to which piece predominates. Very broadly the games at the beginning of a chapter are either easier to follow, or they illustrate technique, while the later ones deal with tactical compli cations and very unusual positions.
Chapter 7, Rooks and minor pieces, will, I hope, fill something of a gap. While the endings of rook against one or two minor pieces (Chapter 8) are covered in many endgame books, the field of rook and minor piece on each side has perhaps been a little neglected.
In most cases the whole game score has been given, to show how the endgame arose, though for a few positions the earlier moves are not available
I would like to thank the Editor of the Bnlish Chess Magazine for kind permission to re-publish the material. A few of the articles have also appeared in The Endings in Modern Theory and Practice (1976) and acknowledgements are due to the publishers, Bell & Hyman Ltd.
1.
Pawn
endings
GAME 1 White: Shamkovich Black: W atken USA, 1 976
White can win this ending, but only by keeping Black's attempts to make a passed pawn under careful controL Certain types of passed pawn can be permitted, others cannot (Diagram 1 ).
1 . . . K£8 2 Ke3 Ke8 3 Kd3 !
Straightaway he has to b e careful - 3 Kd4 will not do because of 3 . . . e5 + . Then, if 4 Kc4, f5 and Black has the equivalent of a pro tected passed pawn (at e5), which has to be watched permanently. Any Q-side invasion would then be out of the question, while the undermining move f4 would always be met by . . . e4.
The alternative 4 d X e6 fXe6 would allow Black a protected passed cl-pawn and after 5 f4 (otherwise . . . g5, putting an end to the essential undermining plan f4-f5) Kd7 6 Ke4 Kc6 7 f5 e X f5 + 8 g X f5 g X f5 + 9 KXf5 Kb5 1 0 Ke6 KXb4
Diagram 1
1 1 K X d6 Kb3 Black can draw. The important point about this position is knowing when to advance the h-pawn, drawing the white king away from the vital squares f7 and f8 and thus gaining access to them himself, and when to leave the pawn untouched, shutting the king in when he captures it. The lines are as follows:
(a) 1 2 Ke6 KXb2 1 3 Kf6 Kc3 1 4 Kg7 h5 1 (not 1 4 . . . Kd4 1 5 KXh7 Ke5 1 6 h4 etc.) 15 Kh6 h4 (again not 15 . . . Kd4) 1 6 Kh5 h3! 1 7 Kh4 Kd4 and draws. If here 1 5 h4 Kd4 1 6 Kh6 Ke5 etc. draws.
(b) 12 Ke6 KXb2 1 3 Kf6 Kc3 1 4 Kg5 Kd4 1 5 Kh6 (if
1 5 h4 Ke5 1 6 h5 h6 + draws) Ke5 1 6 KXh7 Kf5, winning the pawn; if here
1 6 h4 Kf6, reaching f7 and drawing. (c) 1 2 Ke6 KXb2 1 3 Kf6 Kc3 1 4 h4 Kd4 1 5 h5 Kd5 1 6 Kg7 Ke6 1 7 KXh7 Kf7 draws, or if 1 6 h6 Kd6 etc. (d) 1 2 Ke6 KXb2 1 3 h4 Kc3 1 4 h5 Kd4 15 h6 Kc5 draws. 3 . . . Kd7
Because both 3 . . e5 and 3 . . . e6 are now met by 4 g5 1, crippling Black's majority and preventing him from obtaining a passed pawn.
Of course, 3 . . . f6 would defeat the object of Black's plan (he would not have a protected passed pawn after a later . . . e6) and no other pawn moves are of any use. 4 Kc4 Kc7 5 Kb5
Planning Ka6-a7 (or Kb6 after . Kb8) and meeting 5 . . . e6 by 6 g5 1 eX d5 7 Ka4 Kb6
8 Kb3 Kb5 9 Kc3, as in the game. The position then becomes a rela tively simple case of an outside
passed pawn defeating a central one.
5 . . . Kb7 6 f4 e6
Otherwise he runs out of pawn moves and White wins by Ka5, b5 etc.
7 g5 (Diagram 2) Kc7 If 7 . . . e X d5 8 Ka4, as shown above. Now, to force the issue, White has to threaten the penetra tion to a7.
8 Ka6 e Xd5
If 8 . . . Kb8 9 b5 e X d5 10 Ka5, as in the game; if here 9 . . . e5
Diagram 2
l 0 fXe5 dXe5 11 Ka5, catching the pawn; if 9 . . . Ka8 l 0 Kb6 Kb8
1 1 Kc6 wins. If 8 . . . e5 9 f X e5 d X e5 10 Kb5 Kd6
11 Kc4 e4 1 2 Kd4, White also wins by a K-side attack. 9 Kb5 Kb7 10 Ka4 d4
1 1 Kb3 d5 12 Kc2 KeG 13 Kd3 Kb5 14 KXd4 KXb4 15 K Xd5 Kb3 16 Ke5 1-0.
GAME 2 White: Vogt Black Liebert East Germany, 1 969
Black's superior king position gives him some advantage Combine that with the weakness of White's Q-side pawns, which is anything but obvious, and the advantage becomes decisive. The pawns are weak because Black threatens . a5, . . . b5 and . . . a4 with an outside passed pawn, and the only way to prevent that, c5, leaves the whole complex in danger from Black's active king l . Kf4 is also an obvious threat, which explains the first move (Diagram l ):
1 g3
If he avoids this, we have (a) 1 b4 (l c5 Kf4 leads to the same thing) Kf4 2 Kd4 Kg3 3 Ke5 K X g2 4 Kf6 KXh3 5 K X g5 Kg3 6 K X g6 Kf4 7 Kf6 Ke4
8 Ke6 Kd3 and wins; if here 2 Ke2 b6, with . . . Ke4 and . . . c5 to follow. (b) l Ke3 a5 2 g4 b6, when 3 Kf3, abandoning the Q-side passed pawn, naturally makes things worse.
Diagram 1 1 .. .aS 2 cS
2 Ke3 provides the most interesting analysis, since Black cannot get away with the direct hne 2 . . . b5 3 Kd3 a4 (3 . . . b X c4 + 4 K X c4 Ke4 is too slow) 4 c X b5 c X b5 5 b X a4 b X a4 6 Kc4 Ke4 7 Kb4 Kd3 8 K X a4 K X c3 9 Kb5 Kd4
1 0 Kc6. At this point 1 0 . . . Ke4 1 1 Kd6 Kf3 1 2 Ke5 K X g3 1 3 Kf6 only draws; in order to win Black has to change the pawn structure, but 1 0 . . . g4
1 1 h X g4 Ke4 1 2 Kd6 Kf3 1 3 Ke6 K X g4 1 4 Kf6 is still too slow, while 1 0 . . . g4 1 1 h X g4 g5?
1 2 Kd6 actually wins for White. The right way is quite subtle: change the K-side pawn structure first, while there is still time, viz. 2 . . . g4! 3 h X g4 (if 3 h4, Black will penetrate quickly to f3, the white king being inevitably drawn across to the other wing) g5 4 Kd3 ( 4 c5 Kd5 5 b4 a4 6 Kd3 a3 is hopeless) b61 (not 4 . . . b5? 5 c X b5 cXb5 6 c4 when Black is losing - the white king must not be in a position to
Diagram 2 recapture at c4) 5 Ke3 b5 6 Kd3 a4 7 c X b5 c X b5 8 b X a4 b X a4 9 Kc4 Ke4 1 0 Kb4 Kd3 1 1 K X a4 K X c3 1 2 Kb5 Kd4 1 3 Kc6 Ke4 1 4 Kd6 Kf3 1 5 Ke5 K X g3 and wins; if here 1 3 Ka3 Kd3
1 4 Kb3 Ke3 1 5 Kc3 Kf3 etc. 2 . ..Kd5 3 b4 a4 4 c4+ KeS
5 Kc3 (Diagram 2) g4!
Black now alters the pawn structure in the same way, but for a different reason; he wishes to eliminate any spare moves for his opponent. In fact . . . g4 can be delayed, but playing it at once is the simplest line to follow.
He can shp up here by attacking the K-side instead, e.g. 5 . . . Ke4 6 Kb2 Kf3 7 g4, and now 7 . . . Ke3 8 Ka3 Kd3
9 K X a4 KXc4 1 0 Ka3 Kc3 still wins, as in the game, but 7 . . . Kg3? leads to the notoriously difficult
queen and pawn vs. queen ending after 8 Ka3 KXh3 9 K X a4 K X g4
1 0 Ka5 Kf4 1 1 Kb6 g4 1 2 K X b7 g3 1 3 b5 c X b5 (or 1 3 . . . g2 1 4 b X c6 g 1 /Q 1 5 c7 Q X c5 1 6 c8/Q Q X c8 +
1 7 KXcB Ke5 1 8 Kd7 1 Kd4 1 9 Ke6 with a draw) 1 4 c6 g2 1 5 c7 g 1 /Q 1 6 cB/Q b X c4 etc.
In the last phase White has to submit to a complete turning of his left flank, an instructive finish in itself
6 h Xg4 g5 7 Kb2 Kd4 8 Ka3 Kc3 ! 0- 1.
Black's last move is easier than
8 . . .KX c4 9 K X a4, when he has to use opposition manoeuvring to win, viz. 9 . . .Kd4 ! 1 0 Kb3 Kd3
1 1 Kb2 Kc4 1 2 Ka3 Kc3, or 1 0 Ka5 Kc3. Now, after 9 K X a4 K X c4 1 0 Ka5 Kb3
1 1 b5 Kc4 1 2 b X c6 b X c6 1 3 Kb6 Kd5 wins. If here 1 0 Ka3 Kc3 1 1 Ka4 Kb2 1 2 b5 Kc3 is the same thing.
GAME 3 White: Faibisovic Black: Ohotnik USSR, 1 979
White has to make up his mind whether he will have enough advantage to win, if he exchanges queens. His decision to do so is based on a superior pawn structure, i.e. he has one pawn (h-) holding two black ones (h- and g-). While he is creating two connected passed pawns on the Q-side, Black will therefore have only one (e- or f-). Alternatively Black can obtain two passed pawns by playing . . . g6 or . . . g5, but White then intends to exchange and leave the weakened pawns open to attack by his king. However, Black will then have an outside pawn, so the ending has to be finely judged.
(Diagram 1 )
1 Qd2 + ! Q Xd2+ 2 K Xd2 f5 If Black refuses to move his pawns at all, White would first centralise his king and play c4. Then the
Diagram 1
further advance of his pawns would enable him to occupy e5 and finally d6 with his king.
If Black plays his king to d6 and pawn to f6, but no more pawn moves, White can play his king to d4 and pawns to a5, b5 and c5. With the black king then at c7, c6 and Kc5 will win (or if 1 c6 Kd6 2 a6, threatening 3 b6).
If in this defence Black plays . . . a6 and exchanges off one of the advancing pawns (position would then be WK c4, pawns b5, c5, BK c7), White has 1 c6 Kd6 2 Kd4, with Kc5 to follow and the usual direct mating attack.
If Black sets up his pawns at f6 and e5, the advance of his pawns gives White easy access to d5
There remain only Black's actual choice (. . . f5 and . . . e5) or the alternative plan of . . . g5. The second of these is interesting because of the way White's dominating centralised king out weighs Black's potential outside passed pawn, and easily keeps this pawn under control: 2 . . . g5 3 h X g6 f X g6 4 Ke3 and then either 4 . . . Ke7 or, slightly stronger, 4 . . . h5:
(a) 4 . . . Ke7 5 Ke4 Kd6 6 c4 e5 (or 6 . . . h5 7 Kf4 e5 + , transposing; if here 7 . . . Kd7 8 Ke5 leads into (b); not of course 6 . . . g5 7 g4 - another useful plus for White) 7 c5+ Ke6 8 b5 h5 9 b6 and wins.
(b) 4 . . . h5 5 Kf4 Ke7 6 Ke5 (not 6 Kg5 e5) g5 and White's problem is that after . . . h4 he will never be able to take the e-pawn. However, his pawns are still too strong for Black: 7 b5 h4 8 a4 Kd7 9 c4 Kc7 1 0 c5 Kd7 1 1 a5 Kc7 1 2 a6 Kb8 1 3 c6 Kc7 1 4 b6 + ! and wins.
Another possible variation illus trates White's enormous king power 4 . . . h5 5 Kf4 Ke7 6 Ke5 a6 (because an exchange may well reduce the tactical chances which three pawns are bound to give White) 7 a4 g5 8 a51 (the more obvious 8 c4 h4
9 b5 a5 10 c5 Kd7 might well not be enough to win, but 8 a5 extends the territory which the black king must cover) h4 (8 . . . Kd7 9 Kf6) 9 b5 Kd7
1 0 b X a6 Kc7 1 1 c4 and wins because the white pawns are
self-Diagram 2
supporting, while the black ones will be lost, if they move:
(a) 1 1 . . . g4 1 2 Kf4 h3 1 3 g X h3 gXh3 1 4 Kg3 Kb8 1 5 c5 Ka7 1 6 KXh3 K X a6 1 7 c6; (b) 1 l . . . Kc6 1 2 c5 Kc7 1 3 a7 Kb7 1 4 c6 + K X a7 1 5 Kd6 and wins. 3 e4 Ke7 4 eS KeG 5 Kd3 KdS (Diagram 2)
Now Black's king is bound to be pushed back sooner or later, by Zugzwang.
G g3 eS 7 Ke3 aG
If 7 . . . Kc6 8 Kc4 a6 9 a4 Kc7 1 0 Kd5 e4 1 1 Kd4 and 1 2 g4 will win. Now White must be careful with his pawn moves -8 a4 7 a5 would be bad. 8 Kd3 aS 9 a3 a4 10 Ke3 e4 1 1 Kd2 KeG 12 Ke3
1 2 Ke2 Kd5 1 3 Ke3 Kc6 1 4 g4 shortens the game, but the result is not affected.
12 . . . KdS 13 Kf2 KeG
14 Ke2 KdS 15 Ke3 KeG 1G g4 1-0.
GAME 4 White: Kirov Black: Ermenkov Bulgaria, 1 973
There is a certain perversity about pawn endings. In some cases a tiny advantage in the pawn structure or in the king position can be decisive; yet examples abound of desperate-looking situations which can be saved by accurate play and with no further errors on the opponent's part.
Our fourth position is a case in point. How do you think Black felt? He has a superior king position and an outside passed pawn, and even White's own majority in the centre is crippled and unable to yield a passed pawn in the normal way. Yet White can still draw! Of course, there is always a logi cal reason; Black's cl-pawn is his Achilles' Heel (Diagram 1 ).
1 Kh3
Amazingly White even has a choice.
l Kf3 Kf5 2 Kg3 Ke4 3 Kg4 amounts to the same thing.
However, he must avoid e4 at this stage - if 1 e4? h5 2 Kh3 (or 2 e5 dXe5 3 d6 Kf6 4 Kh4 e4, winning) Kf4 3 Kh4 K X e4 4 KXh5 Kd3 5 Kg5 a4 wins. 1 . . . K£5 If 1 . . . h5 2 Kg3 Kf5 (2 . . . h4 + 3 Kh3 Kh5 is useless on account of 4 e4 Kg5 5 e5 dXe5 6 d6 Kf6 7 K X h4 Ke6 8 Kg5, equalising easily) 3 Kh4 Ke4 4 K X h5 K X e3 (see below for 4 . . . Kd3)
5 Kg5 Kd3 6 Kf5 Kc3 (6 . . . a4 7 b X a4 K X c4 8 Ke6 is in White's favour, if anything) 7 Ke6 KXb3 8 K X d6 a4 9 Kc6, with a slight advantage to White.
4 . . .Kd3 leads to 5 Kg5 a4 (or 5 . . . Kc3 6 e4) 6 b X a4 K X c4 7 e4, and in this funny symmetrical position Black is in trouble - if 7 . . . Kb4 8 e5, or i£ 7 . . . Kd4 8 a5 1
In every variation White's drive towards e6 and d6 is at least as potent as anything Black can . devise.
2 Kh4 Ke4 3 Kg5 KXe3 4 K£5 Of course, White ignores the
h-pawn Now the lines beginning with 4 . . . Kd3 5 Ke6 Kc3 and 4 . . . Kd3 5 Ke6 a4 are at best equal for Black, so he correctly runs with his h-pawn.
4 . . . h5 5 KeG h4 6 K Xd6 h3 7 Kc7 h2 8 d6 h 1 /Q 9 d7 (Diagram 2)
The normal rules of queen vs. pawn only apply on an open board, when the queen has her full checking powers available. Here she cannot reach the vital square c6 and nothing can be done. 9 . . . Qh2+ 10 KcB Qh3 1 1 Kc7 Qg3+ 12 KcB Qg4
Diagram 2
1 3 Kc7 Qf4+ 14 Kc8 QfS 15 Kc7 QeS + 1 6 Kc8 Qe6 17 Kc7 Qe7 18 Kc8 Y2-Y2
2.Knights
In Game No. 5 a World Champion shows how to take advantage of a superior king position in a relatively straightforward ending. Some interesting pawn endgames also crop up in the notes.
Game No. 6 is a more subtle affair, a triumph of centre control over a potential outside passed pawn, and a lesson for all who over-estimate the Q-side majority. That this should happen in a knight ending, where an outside passed pawn would normally be a powerful weapon, is especially interesting. In the decade since this ·game was played the winner has earned a reputation second to none in the handling of endgames and other simplified positions. (See also Game 24).
The other two games in this chapter are tactically more complicated In No. 7 Black solves his early problems with a piece sacrifice and we have the opportunity to observe some difficult play in an ending of knight vs. two pawns. Black should have drawn, but missed his way at a critical moment.
No. 8 is the other side of the coin, with two strong passed pawns proving too much for a knight. The endgame begins with an assortment of pieces still in action and plenty of aggressive possibilities for Black, but he loses his way in the complexities and his remaining forces are in no position to stop the avalanche.
GAME 5 White: Sax Black: Tal Tallinn, 1 979 Ruy Lopez
1 e4 e5 2 N£3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 N£6 5 0-0 N Xe4 6 d4 b5 7 Bb3 d5 8 d Xe5 BeG 9 Nbd2 Nc5 10 c3 d4 1 1 B Xe6 N Xe6 12 Nb3 d Xc3 13 Qc2
(Diagram 1 ) The tactical play leading into this endgame position is of some interest. If Black con tinues with simple development, say 1 3 . . . Be7, 1 4 Rd 1 and
1 5 Q X c3 leaves White a clear advantage on the open files. Instead Tal keeps the initiative by:
13 . . . Qd5 14 Rd 1 (or
1 4 Q X c3 Bb4 and 15 . . . Rd8)
14 . . . Nb4! 1 5 Qe2 ( 1 5 R X d5 N X c2 simply loses a pawn) 15 . . . Qc4 16 Q Xc4 b Xc4 17 Na5 Nc2 18 Rb 1 Na3 19 Ra 1 Nc2 20 Rb 1 Rb8 2 1 NXc4 Na3 ! (Back again, more strongly this time and forcing White's passive 23rd move) 22 N Xa3 B Xa3 23 Ne 1 c Xb2 24 Nc2 bXc 1/Q 25 RXb8+ Ke7 26 RXc 1 RXb8 27 N Xa3 Rb2
F arcing the exchange of rooks because his king is better developed and will be able to occupy an aggressive square much more easily once his opponent's best piece has disappeared. Black has other advantages too: ( l ) He already possesses a passed pawn; (2) The weakness of the e-pawn will force g3 and f4 before long. Then the whole chain will be open to attack by Black's king along the weakened white squares. All of which should add up to a lost ending for White. (Diagram 2) 28 Rc2 R Xc2 29 N Xc2 Kd7 30 g3
Best to play the pawn moves at once. They will soon be forced anyway, and his king will arrive at the centre more quickly via f2 and e3.
30 . . . c5
This is not done merely to bring the pawn two squares nearer to queening - priority at this stage would normally be given to the king's development. But Tal intends to play . . . Nd4, gaining more central space, and in addition the direct 30 . . . Kc6 3 1 f4 Kd5 32 Nb4 + (32 Kf2 Ke4 would be too dominating) 32 . . . Kc4 33 N X a6 Kb5, trapping the
Diagram 2
knight, is not as good as it looks: 34 Nb8 Kb6 (34 . . . c5
35 Kf2 Kc4 36 Ke3 shows very little for the sacrificed pawn) 35 f5 Nc5 36 e6 fXe6
37 f X e6 N X e6 38 Nd7 + Kc6 39 Ne5 + Kd5 40 Nf3 Ke4 4 1 Kf2 c5 42 Ke2, and the result of Black's efforts has only been to reduce the pawn population Another possibility here would be a good example of a premature attack - 3 1 . . Kc5 32 Kf2 Kc4 33 Ke3 Kc3 34 Ne l Kb2 35 f5 Nd8 36 Nd3 + etc. Black has to keep the centre under better
control than that. 3 1 f4 Nd4!
It is easy to see that Black stands better in the pawn ending after
32 N X d4 cXd4, but the proof of the win is perhaps less obvious. The analysis would be: 33 Kf2 Ke6 and then either 34 Kf3 or 34 Ke2. Clearly the black king cannot be allowed into e4, but even on d5 his influence is such that the opposing pawn majority can be broken up or paralysed: 34 Kf3 Kd5 35 g4 g51
majority is useless for producing a passed pawn - 37 Ke2 Ke4 etc., or 37 h3 Kd5 38 h4 Kc4 and wins. If here 36 h3 g X f4
37 KXf4 Kc4 wins. If White avoids g4 altogether, we have 35 h3 h5 36 a3 g6, which is Zugzwang, since 37 h4 cripples the majority and again permits 37 . . . Kc4.
So he must try 34 Ke2 Kd5 35 Kd3. But then 35 . . . h5 1 again forces him to yield e4 or adopt one of the bad pawn structures -36 h3 g6 37 g4 h X g4 38 h X g4 g51 and wins, or 36 h3 g6 37 h4 Kc5 and wins. Tempo moves with the a-pawn are irrelevant here, since the black king can oscillate between c5 and d5 until White has to give way. 32 Ne3 KeG 33 Kf2 Nf5 (Diagram 3) 34 Nd l{!)
Again the pawn ending is hopeless - 34 N X f5 K X f5 35 Kf3 g5 36 g4 + Ke6 etc., but Sax has a reason for playing his knight to d l rather than c2.
34 . . . Kd5 35 g4
He must take some action; against passive play Black gains more space until he can simply walk into White's position, for example 35 Ke2 Kd4 36 Kd2 h5 37 Nc3 h4 38 g4 Ne3
39 h3 Nd5 40 Ne2 + Ke4 etc. 35 . . . Nh6
It seems strange at first sight to de centralise the knight, but if
35 . . . Nd4 36 Nc3 + Kc4
37 Ne4 Kb4 38 Ke3, followed by Nd6, with good counterplay. This of course explains White's 34th move.
36 Kf3 (36 h3? Ke4) Kd4 37 Ne3 g6
Diagram 3
This is necessary to stop f5. After 37 . . . c4 38 Nf5 + ? he is not obliged to take (if he were,
38 . . . N X f5 39 gXf5 would leave him in trouble because he could not then break up the white pawns
- 39 . . . Kd5 40 Ke3 g6 4 1 f61, or 40 . . . Kc5 4 1 Ke4), but wins by 38 . . . Kd3 ! 39 N X h6 c3 and the pawn is through. Also bad for White is 38 g5 Ng8, when he still has no decent moves:
39 Nc2 + Kc3 40 Ne3 Kd3, or 39 Ke2 Ne7 etc., much as in the game.
The trouble is that 38 f5 ! Kd3 39 g5 Ng8 40 f6! leads to obscure complications after 40 . . . g X f6 4 1 gX£6 c3 42 e6 N X f6 43 eXf7 Nd7 44 Kf4 c2 45 NXc2 K X c2 46 Kf5, when a win for Black is by no means certain.
38 g5 Ng8
Now the exchange of knights leads to a draw by 38 . . . Nf5
39 N X f5 + g X f5 40 h4 Kd3 4 1 h5 c4 42 g6.
39 Ng4
Diagram 4
counterplay by Nf6, he is ready to meet 39 . . . Kd3 by 40 Nf2 + (40 . . . Kc2? 4 1 Ke3 c4
42 Kd4 c3 43 Ne4, or 40 . . . Kc3 4 1 Ne4 + and 42 Nd6). Black therefore advances the pawn first. 39 . . . c4 40 Ke2 (Diagram 4) c3 The more direct 40 . . . Ke4 would not be sufficient to win:
4 1 Nf6 + N X f6 42 gXf6 Kf5 43 h4 h6 44 Kd2 g5 45 f X g5 (45 h X g5? h5 !) h X g5 46 h X g5 (46 h5? g4 47 h6 Kg6
48 e6 fXe6 loses) K X g5; and now 47 e6 1 liquidates everything and draws, but interestingly 47 Kc3 loses: 47 . . . Kf5 48 K X c4 K X e5 49 Kb4 KXf6 50 Ka5 Ke5 5 1 KXa6 f5 52 Kb7 (52 Kb5 f4 53 Kc4 Ke4
54 Kc3 Ke3 and wins) f4 53 a4 f3 54 a5 f2 55 a6 f l /Q 56 a7 and although a queen cannot usually win against a RP on the seventh, here she can, by 56 . . . Kd6 57 a8/Q Qb5 +
58 Ka7 (58 Kc8 Qd7 + and mate) Kc7 and mate is forced.
As played, the intention is to win with a mating attack if the white knight wanders off too far in search of pawns, e.g. 4 1 Nf6 Ne7
42 N X h7 Nd5 43 Nf6 N X f4 + 4 4 Kd l Kd3 and wins. At the same time passive play is hopeless on account of his pawn weak nesses; so White ends up trying to compromise, keeping his knight in a position to harass the king from behind.
41 Kd l Ne7 42 Nf6 Nf5 43 Kc l aS !
Played partly because White is having trouble finding moves which do not commit him fatally, and partly because the a-pawn will obviously be a useful asset in the final stages, if it can reach a3. 44 Nd7 Ne3
44 . . . Ke4 is still premature: 45 Kc2 KXf4 46 K X c3 K X g5 47 Kc4, when White wins the a-pawn and gets good counterplay with his own passed pawn. Much better to keep the initiative and avoid quick material gains. The plan now is simply to pick up the f-pawn by . . . Nd5. 45 Nb8 Kd3 46 Nc6 If 46 Nd7 Nd5 47 Nc5 + Ke3 48 e6 fXe6 49 N X e6 N X f4 wins. 46 . . . a4 47 Nd8 Nd5 48 e6 fXe6 (48 . . . N X f4 is quicker still) 49 NXe6 a3 50 Nc5+ Kc4 5 1 Ne4 Nb4 (Now even better than . . . N X f4) 52 Kb l Kd4 0- 1 (The finish would be 53 Nf2 Ke3 54 Ng4 Kd2).
GAME 6 White: Andersson Black: Medina Palma, 1972 Reti Opening
The following ending is rather deceptive at first sight. Black has an outside pawn majority which would give him an advantage in most endings, and particularly knight endings, because the short-stepping knight finds it impossible to stop a distant pawn and influence events on the other side at the same time.
Interestingly, though, the present game is an exception. White has a broad pawn centre, which is usually regarded as a middle-game advan tage, being a useful front behind which to build up an attack. However, such a centre also restricts the enemy pieces - in the endgame as well as the middle game - and so White achieves a space control in the centre and is thereby able to switch his pieces more rapidly from one wing to the other. Black, on the other hand, finds that he simply does not have the manoeuvring space available to support his majority.
1 Nf3 d5 2 c4 e6 3 b3 Nf6 4 Bb2 Be7 5 g3 0-0 6 Bg2 c5 7 0-0 b6 8 e3 Bb7 9 Qe2 Nbd7 10 Rd 1 Qc7 1 1 Nc3 Rac8 12 Rac 1 Rfd8 13 d3 Qb8 14 cXd5 N Xd5 15 a3 N X c3 16 B Xc3 Bf6 17 Qb2 h6 18 h3 BX c3 19 RXc3 Nf6 20 Rdc 1 Nd5 2 1 R3c2 Ne7 22 Ne 1 B Xg2 23 KXg2 a6 24 b4 c Xb4 25 QXb4 RXc2 26 RXc2 Qb7 + 27 Kg 1 ReS 28 Qd6 RXc2 29 N Xc2 Nd5 30 e4 Qc7 3 1 Q Xc7 N Xc7 (Diagram 1 ) 32 d4
Setting up the pawn centre and preventing Black from getting his fair share by 32 . . e5.
32 . . . f5
This is very questionable since it weakens his central position even more, and the hole on e5 shortly becomes a serious matter, being an ideal springboard for the white knight, from which to attack the K-side pawns. Black's idea is to get his king to the centre one move sooner by obliging White to play
f3, but this is hardly sufficient compensation.
33 f3 Kf7 34 Kf2 Ke7 35 Ke3 Kd6 36 Kd3 g6{?) Black is tempted to make waiting moves for the moment, but again a slight weakening of his position is involved. White's centre restricts his pieces to the extent that he is unable to support the advance of the outside majority. The move
36 . . . b5, preventing the approach
of the enemy king, gives rise to the following variations: (a) 37 Kc3 Kc6 38 Ne3 (38 Kb4 Kb6) g6 39 d5 + e X d5? 40 e X f5 g X f5 4 1 N X f5 h5 42 Ng7 h4 43 g4 Kc5 44 Nf5 Ne6 45 N X h4 Ng5 46 f4 N Xh3 47 f5 with a clear advantage.
(b) (In the above line) 39 . . . Kc5 1 40 dXe6 fXe4.
(c) 37 Kc3 Kc6 38 Nb4 + Kb6 39 Nd3, aiming at c5, e5 and f4, with advantage.
(d) 37 Kc3 a5 38 Na 1 1 Kc6 (otherwise 39 Nb3 will force . . . a4 with a crippling of the majority) 39 Nb3 Kb6 40 Nc5 Kc6 4 1 Nd3 with some advantage, though this is probably Black's best. 37 Kc4
Now it is much harder for Black. If he plays 37 . . . a5, then 38 a4 Kc6 39 Na3 leaves the square b5 fatally weak, while 37 . . . b5 + 38 Kb4, followed if required by Ka5 and Nb4, would also give him a very passive game.
37 . . . Nee
37 . . . e5, to soften up the enemy
Diagram 2
centre, looks possible, but the weakness of the wing pawns then shows up, e.g. 38 e X f5 g X f5 ,, c , .
39 Ne3 Ke6 (if 39 . . .£4
";'�fi+r:,_�
40 g X f4 eXf4 4 1 Nf5 + , or if here +�'-'
40 . . . e X d4 4 1 Nf5 + Kc6 .;w 42 N X h6 Ne6 43 f5) 40 d5 + Kf6 4 1 d6 Na8 (41 . . . Ne6 42 Nd5 +) 42 Kd5 and wins. 38 Nb4 b5+Again 38 . . . a5 alone is hopeless after 39 Nd3 Nc7 40 a4 and Ne5. 39 Kc3 a5 40 Nd3 fXe4
4 1 f Xe4 Ke7 (Diagram 2) 4 1 . . . Ng7 loses a pawn immedi ately after 42 g4! (42 Ne5 Nh5 43 g4 Nf4 is not so good) h5 43 Ne5, or 42 . . . g5 43 Ne5 Ke7 44 Nc6 + . Graphic proof of the value of the centre square e5 is the fact that White can menace both the a and hpawns in this way -and with a knight! The move played is the only way to defend the pawn temporarily.
42 Ne5
Hitting two pawns again and forcing Black into a counter-attack. 42 . . . Nd6 43 Kd3
43 N X g6 + will not do - 43 . . . Kf6 44 e5 + K X g6 45 e X d6 Kf7 46 g4 Ke8 47 h4 Kd7
48 g5 h X g5 49 h5 (49 h X g5 is also useless) g4, after which both sides queen and nothing can be achieved.
43 . . . K£6 44 Nc6
Having drawn the enemy king right over to the other side, he switches his forces smoothly to the Q-wing with a speed which Black cannot possibly match.
44 . . . Nc4
A somewhat rickety outpost for the knight, but if 44 . . .Nb7 45 Na7 b4 46 aXb4 aXb4 47 Nc6 (not
Diagram 3
47 Kc4 Nd6 + etc.) b3 48 Kc3, and White's extra pawn will win (a) because the pawns are still spread over five files, so that there is substantially play on both sides of the board, and (b) because Black still has a weak square at e5, which of course makes things worse for him.
45 Kc3 (Diagram 3)
Preparing 46 a4 and causing Black to indulge in a rather desperate pawn sacrifice. Instead, the two more obvious defensive tries for Black are (l) 45 . . . a4 and (2) 45 . . . N X a3. The first can be disposed of quickly - 45 . . . a4 46 Kb4 Nd2 47 e5 + Kf5 48 KXb5, when the white a-pawn will settle the matter rapidly, even if Black manages to restore material equality on the K -side.
45 . . . N X a3 is more complicated and is certainly the best chance for the second player. The following variations indicate that White still retains winning chances, though the outcome is not perfectly clear:
(a) 46 N X a5 Nb 1 + 47 Kb4 Nd2 48 e5 + Kf5
49 KX b5 Ke4 50 Kc5 (if 50 Nc6 Kd5, and White cannot win) Nf3 5 1 Nc6 Ng5 52 h4 Nh7 (or 52 . . . Nf7 53 d5 and now (l) 53 . . . e X d5 54 e6 and wins; (2) 53 . . . N X e5 54 N Xe5 K X e5 55 d6 Kf6 56 Kc6 and wins) 53 Ne7 Nf8 54 Ng8 h5 55 Nf6 + Kf3 56 Kd6, winning more material. (b) 49 . . .Ne4 50 g4 + (50 Kc6 N X g3 5 1 d5 e X d5 52 Kd6 Ne4 + is not good enough) Kf4 5 1 Kc6 Kg3 52 d5 (52 Kd7 Ng5 is useless) e X d5 53 K X d5 Ng5 54 e6 N X e6 55 K X e6 KXh3 56 Nc4 K X g4 57 Ne5 + with a draw.
(c) 47 Kc2 ! Na3 + 48 Kb
2
b4 49 Kb3 Nb5 50 Nc6 Nc3 5 1 e5 + Kf5 52 KXb4 Nd5 + 53 Kc5 and now, although Black has set up a blockade for the moment, he finds himself short of moves; if 53 . . . Ne3 54 Ne7 + Kg5 55 d5 is strong for White, and if 53 . . . Ke4 or 53 . . . Kg5, then 54 Kd6, followed shortly by Ne7, is sufficient to win.45 . . . e5(?) 4G d Xe5 + KeG 46 . . .N X e5 47 N X a5 is also hopeless in the long run. 47 a4 NbG 48 a Xb5 a4 49 Kb4 h5 50 h4 Kd7 5 1 Nd4 5 1 Na5 is even simpler, e.g. 5 1 . . . Ke6 52 Nc4, winning immediately, or 5 1 . . . a3
52 K X a3 Ke6 53 Kb4, and Black cannot capture. However, the game is only lengthened by a couple of moves.
5 1 . . . Ke7 52 Nc2 KeG 53 Na3 1-0. The a-pawn is now lost.
GAME 7 White: Hecht Black: Hurme
Nice Olympiad, 1 974 Reti Opening
1 N£3 d5 2 b3 N£6 3 Bb2 g6 4 e4 e6 5 g3 Bg7 6 Bg2 0-0 7 0-0 Bg4 8 d3 QeB 9 Ne3 Bh3
10 e Xd5 B Xg2 1 1 K Xg2 e Xd5 12 Re 1 Ne6 13 Na4 QeB 14 Ne5 N Xe5 15 B Xe5 ReS 16 Qd2 Qb5 17 Qb2 b6 18 Re2 RXe2 19 QXe2 Qd7 20 Re 1 Ng4 2 1 B Xg7 K Xg7 22 h3 N£6 23 Qe7 RdB 24 Qe5 Qd6 25 Q Xd6 RXd6 26 Rea Rd7 27 e3 Rb7 28 K£ 1 h5 29 Ke2 e6 30 Ne3 b5 3 1 Re5 a6 32 Re6 Ra7 33 Kd2 K£8 34 a4 b X a4 35 N Xa4 Nd7 36 Ke3 Ne5 37 ReS + Ke7 38 d4 Nd7 39 b4 N£6
40 £3 NeB 4 1 Ne5 Nd6 42 Re6 (Diagram 1 ) Black finds himself under pressure from the more aggressively placed white pieces, his immediate problem being the fate of his a-pawn. He correctly decides on the advance of the pawn, which involves a knight sacrifice, after being convinced that the alternatives are worthless :
1 - (Passive defence) 4 2 . . . Nb5 +
43 Kb3 Nc7 (or 43 . . . a5 44 b X a5 R X a5 45 Kb4, and if 45 . . Na7 46 Rc7 + Kd8 47 Rd7 + and 48 K X a5) 44 Ka4 and the king penetrates to a5, or even b6, with a comfortable win. 2 -(Counter-attack) 42 . . . Nf5
43 N X a6 (not 43 R X a6 because he wants to retain his active rook) and now:
(a) 43 . . . N X g3 44 b5 Rb7 45 Kb4 Nf5 46 Nc5 Rb8 47 Rc7 + Ke8 48 Na6 and wins.
(b) 43 . . . N X e3 44 b5 Nc4 (44 . . . Kd7 45 Kb4-c5) 45 Kb4, and, although Black has kept the material balance, he has no answer to the white king's threat to
penetrate his position. His own majority cannot be advanced because it has no proper support.
(c) 43 . . . Rb7 44 Nc5 Rb5 45 Kb3 NXe3 46 Ka4 Rb8 47 Rc7 + Ke8 48 b5 and again White is winning.
42 . . . a5! 43 bXa5 RXa5 44 RXd6!
The only hope for a win, as 44 Rc7 + leads to nothing. 44 . . . Ra3 + 45 Kb4
Of course White must attack the rook, and it is important to choose the right square. 45 Kb2 is inferior because of 45 . . . R X e3 and now White must hurry back to save his remaining pawns (counter-attack is as yet impossible on account of Black's firm pawn structure) -46 Rd7 + Ke8 (not -46 . . . Kf6
47 Nb7! R X £3 48 Nd8 R X g3 49 RX£7 + Kg5 50 N X e6 + Kh4 5 1 Nf4 g5 52 N X d5 Rd3 53 Ne7 1 K X h3 54 d5 g4 . 55 Kc2 Rd4 56 Rh7 g3 -56 . . . h4 57 R Xh4 +1 -57 RXh5 + Kg2 58 N£5! and wins) 47 Rb7 R X £3 48 Rb3 R£2 + 1 49 Kc3 g5 1 and the fixing of the white h-pawn guarantees Black the win of a fur ther pawn. After the correct text move Black has no such resource. 45 . . . RXe3 46 Rd7+
Taking the opportunity to force Black to the back rank, since 46 . . .K£6 would suffer the same fate as shown in the last note after 47 Nb7 etc.
46 . . . Ke8 47 Ra7 RX£3 48 Ra3 Black now faces the difficult problem of whether to exchange his active rook and try to penetrate the K-side with his king, or to keep his rook, in which case the white pieces will disturb his king and make it difficult for him to find suitable play. He chooses to exchange, rightly I think, as his king then comes through quite
Diagram 2
�--�������
quickly to the scene of action. After 48 . . . Rfl 49 h4, followed by N d3-e5 or N d3-f4 and the re centralising of the king, is good for White.
48 . . . R Xa3 49 KXa3 Ke7 (Diagram 2) He must advance at once, to be as far ahead of the white king as possible The ending of knight vs. pawns which now follows is extremely difficult for both sides. One would not normally expect two pawns to be sufficient compensation for a piece, especially since they are still relatively backward, but Black's structure is very strong and his king is better placed, so a draw may well be the correct outcome with best play.
50 Nd3
It would be most unwise to touch the pawns yet, e.g. 50 h4 K£6 5 1 N d3 (5 1 Kb3 Kf5-g4 is even worse) Kf5 52 Nf2 £6 53 Kb3 g5 54 Kc3 g X h4 55 g X h4 Kf4 and it is White who will be fighting to draw. In view of this White's choice lies between the move played and 50 Kb4, both aimed at re
centralising. After 50 Kb4 we have 50 . . .Kf6 5 1 Kc3 Kg5 52 Kd3 (52 Nb7? h4 53 g4 K£4 54 N d8 Kg3 is very bad for White) h4 53 g4 Kf4 and Black's domination of the squares f4 and g3 is a big step forward The follow-up might be 54 Ke2 (not 54 Nb7 Kg3 55 Ke3 g5 1 - fixing the g-pawn - 56 Nd8 £5 1 and White is in a bad way whichever way he captures) Kg3 55 Ke3 g51 (again fixing and avoiding a possible future g5 from White) and Black wins a third pawn. White therefore decides to cover f4
at once. 50 ...K£6
Black should on no account loosen his pawn position before his king is well advanced. If 50 . . .f6, planning . . . Kd6 and . . . e5, 5 1 Nf4 Kf7 52 Kb3 leaves him without a good move, e.g. 52 . . . g5
53 N Xh5 Kg6 54 g4 f5 55 Kc3 f4 56 Kd3, followed shortly by a counter-sacrifice at f4 and White wins easily.
5 1 Kb4
White can do nothing without his king, and the attempt to hold Black up by 5 1 Ne5 would be fruitless, e.g. 5 1 . . . K£5 1 52 N X £7 Ke4 and now:
(a) 53 Ne5 K X d4 54 N X g6 Ke3 55 Ne5 (55 Nh4 d4 56 g4 h X g4 57 h X g4 K£4) Ke4 and Black certainly cannot lose.
(b) 53 Ng5 + KXd4
54 N X e6 + Ke3 and the white pawns will be wiped out, leaving a draw. ·
5 1 . . . K£5 52 Kc3
Black now has to choose between the immediate advance of his king, abandoning the £-pawn, or the more cautious 52 . . .f6, allowing White's king an extra tempo to approach the centre. He may well have been pressed for time at move 52, so opts for the safe move. However, 52 . . . Ke4 would soon have made the draw clear -53 Ne5 (nothing else is to be seriously considered) f6 54 N X g6 Kf3 55 N£8 (not 55 N£4? h41) e5 (55 . . . K X g3 56 N Xe6 K X h3 57 N£4 + Kg4 58 N Xd5 h4 may also be playable but would certainly not win, and so it is safer to deprive White of his
d�awn) 56 d X e5 fXe5 57 Ng6 e4 58 g4 h X g4 (58 . . . e3? 59 Ne5 + is bad) 59 h X g4 e3 60 Ne5 + K£4, drawing.
52 . . . £6
This move is quite sound, without being as accurate as 52 . . . Ke4. 53 Kd2!
53 N£4? h4 would clearly be bad, while Black has the same reply to 53 N£2 - 53 . . . h41 54 g X h4 K£4 55 Ng4 (55 Nd3 + Kg3
56 Nc5 e5, or 55 Kd2 Kg3 56 Ke2 e5 57 d X e5 fXe5 and White will quickly lose both his pawns) e5 1 56 N X £6 e X d4 + 5 7 K X d4 Kg3 and draws. The move chosen not only brings the king nearer but retains control over £4 and keeps Nc5 + in reserve; see the next note.
53 . . . Ke4
53 . . . h4 is unplayable now, e.g. 54 g X h4 Ke4 55 Nc5 + K X d4 (or 55 . . . K£5 56 Ke3 e5 57 Nd3 and now (a) 57 . . . e4 58 Nf4 (b) 57 . . . e Xd4 + 58 K X d4 g5 59 h5; (c) 57 . . . Ke6 58 Nc 1 1 K£5 59 Ne2, followed by Ng3( + ) and h5, and White is winning) 56 N Xe6 + Ke4 (56 . . . Ke5 57 N£8 K£5 58 Ke3 is Zugzwang) 57 Ke2 d4 58 Nf8 K£5 59 Kd3 and wins. In view of this, and faced with the threat of further consolida tion by White (54 Ke3), Black takes the plunge and correctly liquidates into an ending where White is reduced to his last pawn.
54 Nc5 + K£3
Another problem for Black 54 . . . K X d4 leaves White without a passed pawn, but the variations (a) 55 N X e6 + Ke5 56 N£4 K£5 57 Ke3 and (b) 55 N X e6 + Ke4
56 Ke2 (otherwise 56 . . .Kf3) g5 57 Nc5 + Kd4 58 Nd7 f5 59 Kf3 Kc3 60 Ne5 are clearly dangerous for him.
55 N Xe6 K Xg3 56 Nc7 K Xh3 57 N Xd5 (Diagram 3)
The game is now very delicately balanced. There is no possibility of Black's winning without a serious error on White's part and, in fact, although a draw should still be the outcome, Black has to play with great precision. In some variations the right plan is not to try to hold on to all three pawns but to let one go and use the time to edge across towards the white pawn. In the following analysis there are also a number of variations in which both sides queen a pawn and White is then able to win by a direct attack.
57 . . . Kg4!
A strange-iooking move, but the only correct one, the main reason being that the h-pawn needs extra protection to enable . . . g5 to be played shortly Obviously
57 . . .Kg2 58 Nf4 + is bad, while the natural 57 . . .£5 fails against 58 Ne71 (if 58 N£4 + ? Kg3 59 N X g6 h4 and the knight has to be sacrificed at once; if 58 Ne3 then not 58 . . . f4 59 d5 etc. but 58 . . .Kh4 1 59 d5 Kg5 and Black catches the pawn) and now
(a) 58 . . .f4 59 d5 f3 60 N X g6 f2 6 1 Ke2 Kg2 62 Nf4 + and wins; (b) 58 . . . g5 59 d5 f4 (59 . . . g4 60 N X f5) 60 d6 f3 6 1 Nf5 and wins; (c) 58 . . . Kg4 59 N X g6 h4 60 Ke3 h3 6 1 Ne5 + and 62 Nf3 and White is winning.
57 . . .Kg3 might seem plausible but, as mentioned, it is essential to cover the h-pawn and Black would
Diagram 3
then lose as follows: 58 Ke3 ! (not 58 N X f6 h4 59 Ne4 + Kf4 and Black gets back towards the white pawn) and now (a) 58 . . . h4
59 N X f6 h3 60 Ne4 + and 6 1 Nf2 wins; (b) 58 . . .£5 59 Nf4 h4 60 d5 g5 (60 . . . h3 6 1 N Xh3) 6 1 Ne2 + Kg2 62 d6 f4 + (if 62 . . . h3 63 d7 h2 64 d8/Q h l /Q 65 Q Xg5 + and mate in a few moves)
63 N X f4 + gXf4 + 64 K X f4 h3 65 d7 h2 66 d8/Q h l /Q and we have one of those curious cases where a king and queen can beat a king and queen. After the further 67 Qd2 + Kh3 (if 67 . . .Kg 1 68 Kg3 mates, as does 67 . . .Kf 1 68 Qd l + Kg2 69 Qe2 + Kg l 70 Kg3) 68 Qe3 + White mates in two more moves.
58 Ke3
58 N Xf6 + Kf5 is worse as the knight cannot then return to d5, on account of 59 . . .Ke4.
58 . . . h4?
Having played the ending well up to now, Black throws it away. It turns out that in this case the two pawns are not sufficient to hold the
draw and Black should therefore have secured all three by 58 . . . £5 1, after which White has the following choices:
(a) 59 N£4 g5 60 Nd3 f4 + 6 1 Ke4 (or 6 1 Kf2 K£5 62 d5 g4 and White cannot hope to win) Kg3 1 62 d5 (or 62 Ne 1 g4, or 62 Nc1 f3) h4 and Black queens with check and draws easily.
(b) 59 Ne7 Kg5 60 d5 K£6 6 1 Nc6 h4 and again the three pawns permit Black to draw comfortably. If here 60 Ng8 1? h4 6 1 d5 £4 + 62 K£3 K£5. (c) 59 N£6 + Kg5 60 Nh7 + Kg4 6 1 d5 f4 + 62 Kf2 K£5 and draws. 59 N Xf6 + Kf5 60 Ne4 g5 The pawns advance together to avoid blockade as far as possible. 6 1 Nc3
Not 6 1 d5? h3 62 d6 h2
63 d7 h 1 /Q 64 Ng3 + Ke6 with a draw.
6 1 .. . g4 62 Ne2 Kg5
Black makes waiting moves with his king to try and avoid blockade, which is important because blockade would be the first step towards winning the pawns. White dare not leave the black pawns to support his own but, even so, he is able to find a win. 62 . . . h3 would have lost after 63 Ng3 + Kg5 64 Ke4 Kh4 65 K£4, or if here 63 . . . Ke6 64 Ke4 and White must win because he has as many tempo moves with his knight as he wishes. If 62 . . . g3 63 K£3 Kg5
64 N£4 K£5 65 Nh3 g2(!) - other wise 66 Ke4 etc. - 66 Ng 1 Kg5
67 KX g2 Kf4 68 Kh3 Ke4 69 Ne2 etc.
63 Nf4
63 d5 is bad and transposes into the note to Black's next move, but White could have won more quickly with 63 Ke4. 63 . . . h3 and . . . g3 then suffer the same fate as in the last note while if 63 . . . K£6 64 K£4 g3 65 Ng 1 Ke6 66 Ke4 wins. White's chosen move does not spoil anything but merely prolongs the game.
63 . . . h3
Losing quickly, as would 63 . . . g3 64 Kf3 etc., but after 63 . . K£5 64 Ne2 Kg5 White wins as shown with 65 Ke4. Not however
65 d5 K£5 66 Kd4 h3 67 d6 h2 (67 . . . Ke6? 68 Kc5 and wins) 68 d7 h 1 /Q 69 Ng3 + Ke6 and draws. In this last variation 68 . . Ke6? 69 d8/Q h l /Q 70 N£4 + would be bad play by Black but would illustrate how a queen and knight can sometimes stir up enough threats to beat a queen, viz. 70 . . . K£7 (70 . . . K£5 7 1 Qf8 + Kg5 72 Qg7 + I mates at e5 or wins the queen)
7 1 Qd7 + K£6 (7 1 . . .Kg8 transposes) 72 Qe6 + Kg7 (72 . . . Kg5 73 Qe5 + wins the queen) 73 Qe7 + and now (a) 73 . . . Kh6 74 Qf6 + Kh7 75 Q£7 + and mates.
(b) 73 . . . Kg8 74 Qe8 + Kg7 75 Nh5 + Kh6 76 Qh8 + Kg5 77 Qf6 + wins the queen.
64 Ne2 Kh4 65 Kf4 h2 66 Ng3 1-0.
GAME 8 White: Pfleger Black: Larsen Manila, 1 97 4 Enghsh Opening
1 c4 g6 2 Nc3 Bg7 3 g3 Nc6 4 Bg2 d6 5 Nf3 e5 6 d3 £5 7 0-0 Nf6 8 Rh 1 h6 9 b4 g5 10 b5 Ne7 1 1 a4 Nd7 12 Ne 1 Nc5 13 e3 0-0 14 d4 Ne6 1 5 Nc2 e Xd4 16 e Xd4 f4 17 Re 1 Kh8 18 Nd5 N£5 19 Bb2 Bd7 20 Qd3 c6 2 1 b Xc6 b Xc6 22 Ndb4 g4 23 N Xc6 B Xc6 24 B Xc6 Ng5 25 Bg2 Rb8 26 Bc3 R X b 1 27 R X b 1 Qf6 28 g X£4 Nh4 29 d5 QX£4 30 B Xg7+ K Xg7 3 1 Qd4+ Kg6 32 Q X£4 RX£4 (Diagram 1 ) In spite of his pawn deficit Black has the better chances in practice, since his attacking prospects have persisted into the endgame, although the strength of this attack is by no means obvious.
Firstly the white bishop is a bad piece, hemmed in by his own d -pawn and having to keep watch over the various knight checks which might be dangerous. Secondly Black's control of g2 means that back row threats are in the air and his control of f3 and h3 makes it difficult to hft the threats other than by running with the king. Finally an exchange of rooks would favour Black, whose king could invade the centre at once. 33 Ne3
If 33 Bfl Ngf3 + 34 Kh 1 Nd2 would be catastrophic for White. 33 . . . Rd4
Of all the possible direct attacks based on a knight check, 33 . . . Nh3 + looks the most dangerous - 34 B Xh3 g X h3
and now; (a) 35 Rb7 Nf3 + 36 Kh 1 Rd4 37 Rd7 Rd2
38 R X d6 + Kg5 leaves no defence to the threat of 39 . . . RXf2 and mate; (b) 35 Kfl Nf3
36 Ke2 N Xh2 37 Rh 1 Nf3 1; (c) 35 Rd 1 Nf3 + 36 Kh l Ne5 and Black is well on top.
Altogether, 33 . . . Nh3 + appears to be a good alternative to the actual choice.
34 Rb8
It must be immediate counterplay, if he is to stand a chance. 34 . . . Rd2 cannot be permitted without a fight, so the other possibility is 34 Rd 1 , when the exchange of rooks leaves White with a wretched collection of pieces, e.g. 34 . . . R X d 1 + 35 N X d l Kf5 36 Ne3 + Kf4 and now: (a) 37 Kfl h5 38 Ke2 N X g2 39 N X g2 + Ke4 40 Ne3 Nf3 4 1 Nfl Kd4 and if 42 h3 Ng 1 + . (b) 3 7 Kfl h 5 3 8 Bh 1 Ke5 39 Nc2 (39 Ke2 Kd4 leaves Diagram 1
Diagram 2
White without a decent move) a 5 1 40 Na3 (or 40 Ke2 Ngf3
4 1 B Xf3 N X f3 42 h3 Ng1 +) Kd4 4 1 Nb5 + Kc5 42 Na3 Kb4 43 Nb5 Nf5 and Black wins.
Having settled that, the question is not so much whether 34 Rb7 or 34 Rb8 is better, but rather whether White should attack the cl-pawn (Rb8-d8 or Rb7-d7) or the a-pawn. If he decides on the a-pawn, we have 34 Rb7 Rd2 35 R X a7 Ra2, whereupon 36 a5 (36 N X g4 permits mate in three) allows a glorious assortment of mating attacks, viz. 36 . . . Ra1 + 37 Nf1 Nh3 + 38 B Xh3 (or 38 Kh 1 Nf4!) g X h3, forcing 39 f4 to fend off the mate, and then 39 . . . Ra2 threatening 40 . . . Rg2 + 4 1 Kh 1 Nf3 and mate. If then 40 Ne3 Nf3 + 4 1 Kf 1 N Xh2 + and the h-pawn is unstoppable. The alternative of 37 Bfl fares no better in view of 37 . . . Nh3 +
38 Kh 1 N X f2+ 39 Kg 1 Nh3 + 40 Kh 1 Nf5, mating in two if the knight is captured or, if 4 1 N X g4, h5 traps him with the attack continuing unabated.
In the face of all this violence White must clearly run with his king at move 36, viz. 36 Kf l . Now, 36 . . . Ngf3 looks good, but only if White takes it - 37 B X f3 g X f3
38 Kg 1 (or 38 Nd1 Ng2 and a deadly pin to follow, or
38 Ke 1 Ng2 + , winning at once) Ra1 + 39 Nfl Ng2 40 a5 Nf4 4 1 h4 Ne2+ 42 Kh2 R X f l 43 a 6 RXf2 + 4 4 Kh3 Rg2 and mates. If White declines to take, however, the situation is less clear, e.g. 37 a5, when the win of two pieces for a rook is disastrous -37 . . Ra1 + 38 Ke2 Re 1 + 39 Kd3 RXe3 + ?
4 0 K X e3 1 N X g2 + 4 1 Kd3 and White must win. Moreover, neither 37 . . . Nd4 38 Ke1 nor
37 . . . N X h2 + 38 Kg 1 achieves anything concrete and therefore Black's best is probably
37 . . . Nd2 + 38 Ke 1 N X g2 + 3 9 N X g2 N X c4 40 a6 Ne5, when he keeps the a-pawn under
control and in return for his material deficit has better placed pieces and a number of threats, viz. 4 1 . . . Nd3 + and . . .Nc5;
4 1 . . . Nf3 +; 41 . . . Kf5-e4; etc. Notice that 36 . . . Nhf3 is ineffec-tive here on account of 37 N X g4, which would lose a piece by 37 . . . Nd2 + against 36 . . . Ngf3. This leads us to the chief distinction between the manoeuvre Rb7 X a7 and the win of the cl-pawn, as played, namely that in the second case this g -pawn will be defended and the white rook will be more vulnerable at d6. The game continuation makes this clear. 34 . . . Rd2 35 Rd8 Ra2 36 R Xd6+ Kh5 (Diagram 2) 37 Kf l
Again forced, as shown earlier. Now, what about 37 . . . Nhf3, which is now a serious possibility, 37 . . . R X a4 38 c5 being too slow? The threat is 38 . . . Ne4, winning outright, and this time White has little choice but to take. Then, after 38 B X f3 g X f3 39 Nd1 Ra1 (or 39 . . . Ne4 40 Re6 Re2
4 1 c5 Nd2 + 42 Kg 1 Ne4 43 Kfl , which also gives Black no more than a draw) 40 Ke 1 Ne4 4 1 Re6 Nc3 42 Kd2 N X d 1 43 d 6 N X f2 4 4 c 5 (not 44 ReS + Kg6 45 Rd5 Rd 1 + 46 Ke3 R Xd5 47 c X d5 Ng4 + 48 K X f3 Ne5 + and wins) Black can do no better than draw by 44 . . . Rd 1 + 45 Ke3 Ng4 + and might not even manage that.
The conclusion seems to be that, in spite of the dangers to the white king, no win can be demonstrated from Black's attack and that his best chance was definitely to try 37 . . . Nhf3 . After that, if he takes the line starting with 39 . . . Ne4, a draw is the most likely result. 37 . . . Ra l +?
This, on the other hand, releases all the pressure and Black now has nothing to match the hostile passed pawns.
38 Ke2 Ra2 + 39 Kd3 RX£2 39 . . . N X g2 40 N X g2 RXf2 might be a little better, though he would have no real chance of saving this position (4 1 Ne3 and if 4 1 . . . RXh2 42 R Xh6 + ).
40 Be4(?)
This should really be classed as an error due to time trouble, but for which White would surely have continued 40 R Xh6 + K Xh6 4 1 N X g4 + Kg6 42 N X f2 N X g2 43 c5, when he has the same type
Diagram 3
of ending as actually occurs, but with an extra pawn (only one extra, since as played Black soon has to abandon his g-pawn anyway). On the other hand, Black's king would have come one square nearer to the white pawns, but this appears to make little difference, e.g. 43 . . . Nf4 + 44 Kd4 Kf6
45 c6 Ke7 46 Kc5 Nf7 47 h4, or 43 . . . Kf5 (43 . . . Kf6, allowing an exchange of knights, would be even worse) 44 c6 Nf7 45 Kd4 and White should win.
The line chosen also wins, but things are a bit more complicated. 40 . . . Rd2+ 41 KXd2 N Xe4+ 42 Kd3 N Xd6 (Diagram 3) 43 c5 Nf7
Much the best square, out of the way of the advancing pawns. 44 c6
44 d6 looks good at first, e.g. 44 . . . Kg5 45 Ke4 Kf6 46 Kd5 1 (not 4 6 N X g4 + Ke6) h 5 4 7 c6, or 46 . . . Nd8 47 N X g4 + , etc. But Black can do better - 44 d6 Nf3 45 Ke4 (not 45 Nfl N3e5, then . . . Nc6 and . . Nfd8 if required) and now either 45 . . . N3e5
46 Kd5 Kg5 47 c6 N Xc6 48 K Xc6 h5 leading to a hkely draw, or more dangerously collect ing the h -pawn and then returning quickly with his knight,
45 . . . N Xh2 46 Kd5 (or 46 Nf5, threatening 47 c6, 46 . . . Nd8 47 Kd5 Nf3 48 c6 N X c6 49 K X c6 Ne5 + with at least a draw for Black) g3 47 c6 Ng4 ! 48 Ng2 (or 48 N X g4 g2
49 c7 g l /Q 50 c8/Q Q X g4 and Black wins) Nf6 + 49 Ke6 Nd8 + and Black should win.
44 . . . Kg5
He must bring the king into action; if instead 44 . . . Nd6 45 Nc4 Nhf5 46 N X d6 N X d6 47 Kd4 Kg6 48 Ke5 and a pawn queens very quickly If 44 . . .Nf3
45 Nc4 N(either) e 5 +
46 N X e5 N X e 5 + 4 7 Kd4 Nf7 48 c7 Nd6 49 Ke5 and wins easily. Finally, if 44 . . . Ng6 45 Nf5 1 neatly covers e7 and d6, so that 46 c7 is unstoppable.
45 c7 Nd6 46 Kd4
46 Nc4 Nhf5 47 N X d6 N X d6 48 Kd4 Kf6 49 Kc5 Ke7 would be bad; once the pawns are
Diagram 4
blockaded, White has no hope even of a draw. Instead he forces Black to abandon the g-pawn by his threat of 47 Ke5. The black king will now also be shut out of the vital square d7.
46 . . . Kf6
Not 46 . . . Ng6 47 Kc5, nor 46 . . . Nhf5 + 47 Ke5 1 (but not 47 N X f5 KXf5 48 Kc5 Ke5). 47 N Xg4+ Ke7 48 Ne5 ! Far better than 4 8 N X h6? Kd7, when he will be strugghng to draw. From now on Black can only defend passively.
48 . . . Nhf5 + 49 Kc5 h5 50 aS (Diagram 4) Kf6
He is getting close to Zugzwang; 50 . . . a6 5 1 Kb6 obviously only makes things worse, while the knight at f5 is needed to check the king away from c6, should he venture there. If, e.g. 50 . . . Ne3 5 1 Kc6 Nef5 52 Ng6 + Ke8 53 Nh41 N Xh4 54 K X d6 Nf5 + 55 Ke6 Ne7 56 d6 and wins. If 50 . . . Ng7 5 1 Kc6 Nge8 52 a6 Kf6 (neither knight can move) 53 Nc4 Ke7 54 h4 Nc8 55 Kb7 Ned6 + 56 N X d6 N X d6 + 5 7 K X a7 Nc8 + 5 8 Kb8 Kd7 59 d6 ! wins. 5 1 Nc6
5 1 Nc4 Ke7 just repeats the position, but this new attack is too much for Black.
5 1 . . . Nc8 (or 5 1 . . . a6 52 Na7) 52 a6
Now the knight at c8 cannot move and against other defences White's plan is much the same, namely to retire the knight and penetrate to c6 with the king If now 52 . . . Kf7 53 Ne5 + Kf6 54 Nc4 Ke7 55 Kc6 Nd4 + 56 Kb7 and wins;
if 52 . . . Nfd6 53 Nd4 Ke7 54 Kc6 Nb6 55 h4 Nbc8 56 Ne6 Nb6 57 Nf4 etc.; if 52 . . . Ng7 53 Nd4 Ne8 54 Kc6 breaking through to d7 or b7, much as in the game.
52 . . . h4 53 h3 Ng7
The variations are now similar to those in the last note, with the additional point that Black's h-pawn is a little weaker, if anything:
(a) 53 . . .Nfd6 54 Nd4 Ke7 55 Kc6 Nb6 56 Nf3 Nf5 57 N Xh4! N X h4 58 d6 + Ke8 59 d7 + and wins. (b) 53 . . .Nfd6 54 Nd4 Ke5 55 Nf3 + Kf4 56 N X h4 Kg3 57 Ng6 K X h3 58 Ne7 and wins.
(c) 53 . . .Nfd6 54 Nd4 Nf5 55 N X f5 K X f5 56 Kc6 Ke5 57 Kb7 Nd6 + 58 K X a7 KXd5 59 Kb8 and wins.
54 Nd4 Ne8 55 KeG Ne7+ Even d7 can no longer be covered
because of the check at f5, so a piece must be sacrificed.
56 Kd7 N Xc7 57 KXc7 N Xd5 + 58 Kb7 Kg5
If 58 . . . Nb4 59 Nf3 (but not 59 K X a7? Kg5 60 Nf3 + Kf4 6 1 N X h4 Kg3 and White loses both pawns) Kf5 60 N X h4 + Kf4 6 1 Ng2 + Kg3 62 h4 K X g2 63 K X a7 and a pawn must queen
- an illustration of how close this ending is I The same naturally holds true on the next move, i.e. it must be Nf3 first.
59 Nf3+ K£4 60 N Xh4 Kg3 6 1 Ng2!
A very pleasing finish on the same theme, with the added attraction that if 6 1 . . . KXh3
62 Nf4 + 1 N X f4 63 K X a7 Nd5 (or 63 . . . Nd3 64 Kb6) 64 Kb7 wins. If 6 1 . . . K X g2 62 h4 etc., as in the last note.
3. Bishops
The first part of this chapter deals with bishops of the same colour, opposite bishops appearing in Nos. 1 3- 1 5.
Nos. 9 and 1 0 are both technical achievements by White, and illustrate manoeuvring against pawn weaknesses and the use of Zugzwang. No. 1 1 is a typical case of play on one side (cf. also Nos. 43 and 44). Most of these should be drawn with best play, but with four pawns against three there is plenty of scope for defensive errors.
No. 1 2 is a difficult analysis of the longest World Championship game ever played, or rather the last half of it. It concerns chiefly the question of bishop and wrong rook pawn, and the exceptions to the basic drawn position which can arise. Although this book contains few references to endgame studies, no less than three crop up here.
The remainder of the chapter is devoted to opposite bishops, with World Champions again at work in the first two. In No. 1 3 Tal's king smashes up his opponent's game almost single-handed, while No. 1 4 has Karpov squeezing every ounce of advantage out of his position by some subtle pawn play The last game shows play with an unbalanced pawn structure, and again makes reference to the wrong rook pawn.
GAME 9 White: Spassky Black: Byrne
Candidates' Quarter-final, 1 974 Sicilian Defence
1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 Bb5 + Bd7 4 B Xd7 + Q Xd7 5 c4 e5 6 Nc3 Nc6 7 d3 g6 8 a3 Bg7 9 Rb 1 Nge7 10 b4 b6 Diagram 1 1 1 0-0 0-0 12 Nd5 NXd5 13 cXd5 Nd4 14 NXd4 cXd4 15 Bd2 Rac8 16 Qb3 Rc7 17 Rbc 1 Rfc8 18 b5 R X c 1 19 R X c 1 RXc 1 + 2 0 B X c 1 Qc7 2 1 Qc4 Q Xc4 22 dXc4 (Diagram 1 )
The following general points may be made about this position.
1 -The black bishop is a slightly
inferior piece, but not hopelessly so; if Black plays his king to the centre and sits tight he should be able to
hold the game.
2 - White has another small advantage in that he can advance his a-pawn to a5; if Black captures he is faced with (BX a5), Bc7 and Bb8, or if he does not capture then a6 leaves him under the constant threat of a sacrifice on b6 to promote the a-pawn. This is one of the main themes of the ending. 22 . . . £6 23 Kf l Bf8 24 a4 Be7 25 Ke2 Kf7 26 Bd2 £5?
This is not a fatal mistake, but it gives White more targets to attack. It is possible that Black overrated his position, expecting 27 f3 or Kd3, after which 27 . . .f4 would give him a spatial advantage which might compensate for the inferior bishop and pawn structure. Being two points down in the match, Byrne may also have been pressing a little harder than the position warrants. Better was 26 . . . Bd8 (holding up a5) 27 Bb4 Ke7 etc. 27 eX£5!
Spassky sees deeply into the position. He will now have the twin options of shattering the black pawn structure in the centre by f4,
Diagram 2
or penetrating with his king via the white squares after f3 and g4. 27 . . . g X£5 28 Kd3 Bf6 29 £3 Naturally 29 . . . e4 + must be stopped.
29 . . . h5
Black keeps his bishop on f6 in order to hold back f4. 30 aS Ke8
Not 30 . . . b X a5? 3 1 B X a5 followed by Bc7-b8
3 1 a6 Kd7 32 g3 (Diagram 2) Since f4 is not yet possible he prepares the alternative break g4. Not immediately 32 h3? on account of 32 . . . h4 1 crippling the majority. Meanwhile Black can only
move around with his king. 32 . . . Kc7 33 h3 Kd7 34 Ba5 ! The first prod at the black pawns which echoes throughout the ending. It does not achieve anything at this point, but White is still probing in the moves up to the adjournment. The threat is simply 35 B X b6; if 34 . . . b X a5
35 b6, queening by force. 34 . . . Kc8 35 Be 1 Kd7 36 Bf2 Now thinking in terms of a pos sible f4.
36 . . . Ke8 37 Bg 1 Be7?
This is the decisive mistake. Rather than permitting f4 in this way Black would do better to continue moving backwards and forwards with his king. Then White will adopt the alternative plan of g4 with the following variations:
l - 37 . . . Kd7 38 g4 f X g4 39 f X g4 h X g4 40 h X g4 Ke7 4 1 Ke4 Kf7 42 Kf5 Bd8 43 Bf2 Be7 44 Be l Bd8 45 Bd2 Be7 (or 45 . . . Bf6 46 g5 Bg7 47 Ke4 1 Kg6 48 Ba5 1) 46 g5 Bd8 47 g6 + Kg7 48 Ke6 K X g6 49 KXd6 Kf5 (or
49 . . . e4 50 Ke5 e3 5 1 Be l Bf6 + 52 Ke4 e2 53 Bd2 Bh4 54 c5 and wins) 50 Kd7 and now:
(a) 50 . . . Bh4 51 c5 ! e4 52 c X b6 e3 53 Be l and wins. (b) 50 . . . e4 5 1 KXd8 e3 52 Be l Ke4 53 d6 d3 54 d7 d2 55 B X d2 e X d2 56 Kc7 d l /Q 57 d8/Q and wins. 2 - 37 . . . Kf7 1 38 g4 f X g4 39 f X g4 h X g4 40 h X g4 Kg6 4 1 Ke4 Bd8 and White can make no progress. Even if White
manoeuvres his bishop to d2 first in this line to prevent . . . Kg5 at some stage, the black bishop will just oscillate between d8 and c7 (to keep an eye on b6) and nothing can be done.
38 £4 e X£4
After which a pawn is lost, but if instead 38 . . . Bf6 39 f X e5 d X e5 (39 . . . B Xe5 40 BXd4 B X g3 4 1 B X b6) 40 c5 e4 + 4 1 Kc4 d3 42 Be3 (42 c X b6 d2
43 b X a7 d 1 /Q 44 a8/Q + also wins) Bd8 43 Kc3 1 and Black must lose on the queen's side. 39 g X£4 Kd7 40 B Xd4 (Diagram 3)
Here the final stage begins. Spassky is faced with the problem of evaluating his extra pawn in spite of the crippled majority, and the way he approaches this, by taking advantage of all the little tactical details in the position, is very instructive.
40 . . . Kc7 41 Bc3 Kd7
42 Bb4 Kc7 43 Ke3 B£6 44 K£3 White is now trying to force . . . h4 which will increase Black's defensive burden by creating another target on a black square. Black must be very careful, for example if 44 . . . Kd7 45 c51 d X c5
46 B X c5 and White has already solved his major problem, that of creating a passed pawn. If instead 44 . . . Be? 45 Bc3, trying for Bg7-h6-g5 and then Kg3-h4, thereby forcing . . . h4 at some point, or if 44 . . . Bg7 45 Kg3 Bf6 46 Ba3 1, forcing the black bishop to move off the long diagonal and therefore transposing into the previous line. In view of all this Black decides he may as well play . . . h4, which will sooner or later be forced anyway.
44 . . . h4 45 Ke3 Bg7 46 Kd3 B£6 47 Bd2
After 47 Bc3 B X c3 ! 48 KX c3 White has no hope of winning. 47 . . . Kd7 48 Be3 Kc7 49 Bf2 Kc8
Allowing a brilliant finish, but even the most stubborn defence loses, in a similar way to the game:
49 . . . Be? 50 Bd4 Bd8 5 1 Bg7 Be? 52 Bh6 Bd8 53 Bg5 Kd7 54 Kd4 Kc7 55 c5 ! ! d X c5 + (or 55 . . . b X c5 + 5 6 Ke3 B X g5 57 f X g5 and wins) 56 Ke5 B X g5 57 f X g5 c4 58 g6 and wins.
50 c5! ! (Diagram 4) d XcS If 50 . . . b X c5 5 1 Be l l (not 5 1 Kc4 Kc7 52 Be l Kb6) and now:
(a) 5 1 . . .Kc7 52 Ba5 + Kc8 53 Kc4 followed by b6 and the king penetrates decisively to c6. (b) 5 1 . . Bd8 52 Bc3 Kb8 (52 . . . Bb6 53 Bf6) 53 Bg7 Kc8 54 Bh6 Kb8 (54 . . . Kd7
55 Bg5 B X g5 56 fXg5 Kc7 -otherwise b6 - 57 g6 and wins) 55 Bg5 and Black must surrender the h-pawn, losing rapidly.
5 1 d6!
Not 51 Kc4? Be7. White now demonstrates the other main point of his sacrifice - he plans to march his king through the white squares in the centre.
5 1 . . . Kd7
He cannot simply allow Kc4-d5-c6 (or e6), but after this move the echo returns
52 B Xc5! BdB 53 Bb4
Diagram 4
The rest is easy because Black's whole position is laid open and his weak points exposed.
53 . . . KeG 54 Kc4 Bf6 55 Bc5 BdB 56 Bd4! KXd6 The only move to stop the enemy king getting to d51
57 Be5 + KeG 58 BbB Kd7 59 Kd5 1-0.
GAME 10 White: Polugaevsky Black: Balashov
USSR Championship, 1 977 English Opening
1 c4 e5 2 Nc3 Nc6 3 Nf3 f5 4 d4 e4 5 Ng5 Nf6 6 e3 Bb4 7 Bd2 Qe7 8 Nh3 NdB 9 a3 B Xc3 10 B Xc3 d6 1 1 Nf4 0-0 12 Be2 c6 13 d5 c5 14 h4 Nf7 15 b4 b6 16 g3 Ne5 17 b XcS b XcS 18 Rb 1 Nfg4 19 Kf l Rf7 20 Kg2 QeB 2 1 Qc2 Re7 22 Rb2 BaG 23 Ba5 RbB 24 RXbB Q XbB 25 Rb 1 Rb7 26 RXb7 QXb7 27 Ne6 Nf6 28 Bc3 Ned7 29 NdB Qc7 30 Nc6 Nb6 3 1 B Xf6 g Xf6 32 a4 NcB 33 Qb2 Kg7
34 aS Ne7 35 NXe7 Q Xe7 36 QbB Qd7 37 Kg 1 Qe7 38 Bf l Qd7 39 Kh2 Qe7 40 Kg 1 Qd7 41 QaB Qc7 42 QeB BcB 43 Bh3 Qd7 44 Qh5 Qf7 45 Qd 1 Qb7 46 Kg2 (Diagram l ) a6(?) White stands somewhat better, chiefly on account of his oppo nent's pawn weaknesses and the chance of penetrating with his queen, and it may be for this second reason that Black plays . . . a6, sealing up the Q-side as far as possible and preventing a later
a6 by White. Unfortunately for this plan Black soon proceeds to offer a queen exchange, though whether he was compelled to do so is arguable (see next note) and in the bishop ending an extra pawn fixed on a white square is a very serious matter. 46 . . . Kg6 is a better move, stopping White's next, and if 47 Qa4, Kf7 keeps the queen out. 47 QhS Q£7
The alternative is 47 . . . Qd7, answered by 48 Kh2, when the following variations arise:
(a) 48 . . . h6 49 Kg2 Kh7 50 f3 e X f3 + 5 1 Q X f3 (5 1 K X £3 Kg7 52 Kf4 Qa4 53 B X f5 Q X c4 + 54 Be4 Qf l + 55 Qf3 Qe 1 is less attractive) Kg7 (51 . . . Kg6 is worse because of 52 Qf4 Qa4 53 BXf5 + 1 B X f5 54 h5 + with a tempo gain) 52 Qf4 (52 e4? fX e4) Qa4 (otherwise 53 e4) 53 B X f5 B X f5
54 Q X f5 Q X c4 55 h5 with winning chances, but not
55 Qd7 + Kg6 56 h5 + Kg5, nor 55 Qd7 + Kg6 56 Q X d6 Qe2 + with perpetual check.
(b) 48 . . . Kg8 (or 48 . . . Kh8, but not 48 . . . Kf8 49 Qh6 +) 49 Qh6 Qd8 50 Qf4 and now ( 1 ) 50 . . . Qd7 5 1 h5 when White keeps an advantage, but a winning breakthrough is not evident; (2) 50 . . . Q X a5 5 1 B X f5 BX£5 52 Q X f5 Qd81 (if 52 . . . Qc3 or 52 . . . Qa 1 53 Qc8 + , while after 52 . . . Qa2 or 52 . . . Qb6 53 Q X f6 followed by the advance of the g- and h-pawns creates mating threats) 53 Q X e4, with some winning chances, though it is not quite clear how much of a threat Black's a-pawn represents.
On the whole it seems that Black
Diagram 1
should have chosen this, since the bishop ending which now arises appears to be a certain, if difficult, win for White with best play 48 Q X£7+ KX£7 49 £3 e X£3+ SO K X£3
Black was forced to exchange pawns but now his weakness is exposed and White has an ideal post at f4. In addition the pawn at a6 is obviously going to come under fire eventually. However, White has his own weakness at c4, which he has to look after right to the end of the game, and it is this problem which adds interest to the ending, together with the fact that he has to avoid certain blocked positions. These positions are rather typical of bishop endings and arise as a result of winning material too early.
50 . . . h5
Again this looks wrong on
principle, putting another pawn on a white square, but Black is setting a trap and in any case something has to be done about the threat of 5 1 Kf4 Kg6 52 e4 The counter attack 50 . . . Bd7 5 1 Kf4 Ba4
52 B X £5 Bb3 (52 . . . h6? 53 Bc8) 53 B Xh7 B X c4 54 Be4 is hardly very attractive, but if White now tries 5 1 Kf4 Kg6 52 e4, then 52 . . . Bd7 53 B X £5 + B X f5 54 e X f5 + Kg7 55 g4 h X g4 56 K X g4 leaves a drawn position. Notice too that White, having played 52 e4, has little choice but to capture on the following move; 53 eX£5 + would leave the game equally blocked, a king move would lose to a pawn check, while 53 Bg2 would allow Black to liqui date his weak pawn scat-free.
In view of this White begins some subtle bishop manoeuvring, rather reminiscent of endgame studies and based on the relative immobility of the enemy piece. 5 1 K£4 Kg6 52 Bf l !
The beginning of a neat operation which forces the win of a pawn by Zugzwang. The immediate aim is to reach a4 and meanwhile Black can only oscillate his bishop.
52 . . . Bd7 53 Bd3 Bc8 54 Bb l Bd7 55 Bc2 Bc8 56 Ba4! (Diagram 2)
He has recognised h5 as his main target, which can now be assailed from both d l and e8. In view of the threat of 57 Be8 + Kh6
58 B£7 Bd7 59 Be6 etc. Black has only one move .
56 . . . K£7
. . . . whereupon 57 Bdl Kg6 achieves nothing, so White is compelled to lose a move by means of the following king manoeuvre, designed to produce Zugzwang.
57 K£3!
Blocks the diagonal d l -h5, but not for long.
57 . . . Ke7 58 K£2
Forcing Black to surrender a pawn, because 58 . . . K£7 is answered by 59 Ke ) I and he must permit either 60 Bd l or 60 Be8, or if 59 . . . Bb7 60 Bd7 Kg6 6 1 K£2 and the king returns to f4. Naturally 58 . . . Bd7 simply loses the £-pawn after the exchange of bishops, with the white king occupying f5 instead of a white pawn. Faced with this, Black prefers to jettison the pawn at once, thereby freeing his bishop . 58 . . . £4 59 g X£4
Better than 59 e X £4, because the chance of a pawn break by e5 remains available. The essential thing in this type of bishop ending is to be able to open up the position and avoid the kind of blockade or fortress position mentioned in the note to Black's 50th move. However, Black's next move, in addition to covering his own h-pawn, highlights the one defect in his opponent's game, the vulnerable c-pawn, and demon strates that the fight is by no means over.
59 . . . B£5
So that, if 60 K£3 Bg4 +
